At Apollo Chiropractic, we’re proud to serve as the best family chiropractic service in Salt Lake City. We offer services to a huge range of clients up and down the age spectrum, including everything from chronic pain remedies to concussion treatments and many other areas.
One group we’re especially happy to serve: New or expecting mothers, who will sometimes deal with back and neck pain or related issues as a result of their pregnancy and weight fluctuation. One important element we discuss with many women in this position: Posture, which is often vital for keeping pain away and making your days more manageable. Focusing specifically on new mothers who regularly pick up or move their child, this two-part blog series will go over some postural tips directly from expert chiropractors.
Kinds of Issues New Mothers May Have
Due to fluctuations in weight and body composition during and after pregnancy, new mothers may deal with a few physical issues:
- Back or neck pain: Commonly, this pain occurs due to the fact that your center of gravity has shifted as your abdomen grows. As a result, you may start to lean back more than usual to compensate, which can lead to strain on the spine.
- Joint pain: This is also common, particularly in the knees, hips, and ankles. The added weight can put more pressure on these joints, which can cause pain or discomfort.
- Nerve pain: This type of pain is often the result of compression on the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down both legs. Compression can happen when the uterus puts pressure on this nerve, and it’s a common issue for pregnant women (and new mothers as well).
Our next several sections will go over some specific posture tips for mothers lifting and moving their newborns, which often help them avoid the issues listed above — or get clear of them if they’re currently present.
Removing Baby from Crib
The phrase “lift with your legs” is always important to consider, even when lifting a relatively light item like your baby. Do your best to avoid reaching down with fully-extended arms to grab your child out of the crib, as this can lead to back pain.
Instead, try squatting down to their level while keeping your back relatively straight. From this position, you can then use your legs to do the lifting as you bring your baby close to your chest. Keep your feet roughly shoulder-width apart as you do this to maintain balance, and hold your baby close to your body as you stand back up.
Placing Baby in Crib
This process is essentially the reverse of the one described above: You’ll want to start by standing relatively close to the crib, then squat down so you can place your baby inside without extending your arms too far.
Remember to keep your back relatively straight as you squat, and use your legs to do most of the lifting. Many mothers find it helpful to place one hand on the crib for stability as they lower their child down.
In part two of our series, we’ll go over some other common situations for new mothers here. For more on this, or to learn about any of our family chiropractic care services, speak to the staff at Apollo Chiropractic today.